This week in the Midweek Music Mix we look at the latest releases from Kill Chicago, Sally’s Garage and M3D14.
Matt Carter
Kill Chicago – Show Me
Kill Chicago have rolled out the first single from the band’s upcoming sophomore full-length, The Fix, set for release later this fall. Show Me continues along the introspective/observational songwriting path frontman Greg Webber has chosen as the band’s guiding lyrical inspiration, questioning the traditional expectations of adulthood and how we choose to navigate our lives.
Musically, the band are in fine form. Show Me introduces a greater depth to the band’s arrangement abilities and Webber’s vocal performance on this track may be his high point with the band to date. It’s still early days but if this track is any indication, Kill Chicago’s upcoming full-length should be full of musical surprises and deep questions about life as a grownup.
Sally’s Garage – Catcher in the Rye
If you’re a fan of the process of making music, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be able to appreciate Catcher In The Rye, the latest album of material from Sally’s Garage. What it lacks in terms of complete ideas, polished recordings and the general luster we often associate with a “finished record”, it makes up for by providing a tour through the song development process, or at least that’s how I’m choosing to interpret it.
The album is a mix of low-fi pop, electronic brouhaha and undeveloped ideas. There are hits and there are misses. The first two tracks Mad Mad Mona Lisa – Black Book and Mad Mad Mona Lisa – SOS – a pair of interesting low-fi pop songs – set a deceiving tone because while they appear to introduce a clear path for Catcher In The Rye, they are simply two ideas that just happen to sound similar. The album’s eclecticism becomes obvious over the following nine tracks that include a thirteen minute synth jam and sixteen minute song idea that never really takes any definite direction.
Catcher In The Rye is more like an artist’s notebook than an album. There are ideas on every page just waiting to be developed. Process over polish.
M3D14 – Digital Deluxe Edition
The latest release from M3D14 is an assorted mix of electronic compositions that act more as a showcase of ability than a single cohesive project. All six tracks are very structured, melodic and move with a level of excitement that remains just below the surface, never reaching a climax but at the same time, never disappointing either.
The EP opens with a sampled song from Sisters of the Drum, a women’s drum group from St. Mary’s First Nation. For this track, The Wolostoq, the manipulation is minimal and tasteful. The following five tracks showcase a variety of simple constructions and moods that don’t necessarily break any new ground but are nonetheless enjoyable and easy to digest.
The EP’s standout track for me would have to be the laid back, Somewhere But Not Here, a melody driven track that embraces simplicity, suspense and a subtly often overlooked by bedroom composers of the electro variety.
Send us your Music!
If you are a New Brunswick artist or group, have new music on the way and would like to be considered for a future edition of Midweek Music Mix, send us the details at gridcitymagazine(at)gmail.com
